Worried about the Ottawa Redblacks defence? Here’s a thought, maybe it will be even better in 2017.

While Henry Burris and his high-flying offence came out firing in last season’s 39-33 Grey Cup overtime win over Calgary, it was the execution of a terrific defensive game plan that kept the momentum alive, especially in the first half.

Before Calgary could gather any steam into the third quarter, they already trailed 27-7. As good as he is, Stampeders QB Bo Levi Mitchell looked like a deer lost in the headlights at times, bewildered by what the Ottawa defenders were doing scheme-wise.

“We mixed it up, gave them a lot of different coverages,” explained Redblacks defensive co-ordinator Mark Nelson. “It always starts with the defensive line. We were healthy. We had a bunch of guys, Coach (Leroy) Blugh coached them up, rotated them in and we got pressure with four and got a sack or two and we got a sack or two with five. We gave them different looks, generally kept the ball in front of us. (Mitchell) threw up a couple, we caught them and that helped give us an opportunity to be in a position to win the game.”

Could it happen again? Can the Redblacks, an underdog even though they’re opening their CFL season at home, do it again Friday night?

“Calgary’s offence has excellent coaching and there are some great players,” said Nelson. “It’s going to be tough, just like it was last time we played them. The good thing is now our guys know we can beat them. We’ve watched them and studied them, but there will be some stuff they do that we haven’t seen yet — they’ve got those great coaches. But vice-versa, there will be some things we do that they haven’t seen.”

Among the heroes in the Grey Cup triumph were linebacker Damaso Munoz, who had 10 tackles, and defensive backs Forrest Hightower (two interceptions) and Jeff Richards (one interception). They are all gone.

“Every day we’re getting a bit better,” said Nelson. “We lost three or four really good players, but we replaced them with the kids and things are good right now.

“(Former Toronto Argonaut cornerback) A.J. Jefferson (signed as a free agent) is doing a good job, it’s what we expected when we signed him. (Jerrell) Gavins, (Jonathan) Rose and (Antoine) Pruneau are solid. Nick (Taylor) has come on. (Imoan) Claiborne has had a good camp. He’s come back in better shape than he was last year and has really improved his game. It’s very similar to what Hightower did the year before. He wasn’t quite good enough, went home, trained hard, got better and had a successful year. Claiborne is doing the same thing.”

“I see the potential and it’s pretty scary,” said Gavins. “If we hit the gate running Friday, I think we can be pretty intimidating around the league. We’re adapting. We’ve got good players, we’re certified across the board. We’re going to be ready to go, trust me.”

You can bet the Redblacks will try to put some heat on Mitchell, mixing in several defensive linemen to keep them fresh.

“We have good players at that position, it’s the toughest position,” said Nelson. “You rush a quarterback 40 times a game, you’re going to beat your guy maybe four, five or six of those times. You’re going to get to the quarterback maybe three of those times, maybe hit him twice, maybe get a sack if you’re lucky. That would be a good game. All those other 35 or so other times, you’ve had to go hard and not win. So if you can rotate guys in there, it’ll make it harder on the offensive linemen and our guys will be hungry and a little bit fresher later in the game.”

You can bet Ottawa will have a few tricks up its sleeve Friday.

“This defence is smart, not that we weren’t smart before,” said Nelson. “These kids are studying, they’re working hard. We’re growing and we’re growing faster than we normally do. Let’s be real. We’ve got Coach Campbell, he’s the mastermind, he gives us a lot of direction on D and we work it from there and go. Are we ready? We don’t have to be ready till Friday night.”

O-LINE UPDATE: Tommie Draheim, who had a cast on his wrist, was put on the six-game injured list, along with Matt Albright (knee). But Jake Silas (shoulder), who returned to the practice field this week, could be ready soon. Said Campbell: “He’s going to be practising and I think he’ll be available right away. We’ve been a little bit unfortunate with the O-line. But we have a good group ready to go. We’ll make sure those guys get healthy. We’re going to need them, we’ll need the depth.”

DAJE IS BACK: Daje Johnson has returned. Released last week with an injury, the receiver/returner has been added to the Redblacks practice roster. Said Campbell: “You can tell he has some special skills. We’re hoping he develops. He could end up being a contributor this season.”

CATCHING ON: The Ottawa Redblacks will miss pass catchers Ernest Jackson and Chris Williams. But there are plenty of guys ready to step in and help keep the high-powered offence running on all cylinders. Said Campbell: “We’re going to run our offence and the quarterback’s going to be the point guard who distributes the ball as needed. We have enough guys who can make plays — that’s a good luxury for us.”

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